Hello,
suddenly a large number of ants are coming out from a baseboard. They seem to be coming from somewhere beneath the floor.
We have been living in the house since August. Since Friday, numerous ants have appeared in this corner. Last week, we turned on the underfloor heating, but at the same time, the landscaper was working on the terrace and the drainage strip near the roof edge.
Does anyone have experience with this?
We are considering the following possibilities: Either the ants have always been under the floor and are now emerging due to the warmth from the underfloor heating, or the landscaper accidentally damaged the wall during the excavation, providing the ants with an access point, or there was already a crack or hole in the exterior wall from the construction phase, but only now, after the garden was dug up, has an ant colony moved so close to the house that they are using this access.
Of course, we will contact the builder and wait to hear their opinion.
But perhaps someone here has experience with this and can offer tips or ideas about how this could happen.
Thank you very much!
suddenly a large number of ants are coming out from a baseboard. They seem to be coming from somewhere beneath the floor.
We have been living in the house since August. Since Friday, numerous ants have appeared in this corner. Last week, we turned on the underfloor heating, but at the same time, the landscaper was working on the terrace and the drainage strip near the roof edge.
Does anyone have experience with this?
We are considering the following possibilities: Either the ants have always been under the floor and are now emerging due to the warmth from the underfloor heating, or the landscaper accidentally damaged the wall during the excavation, providing the ants with an access point, or there was already a crack or hole in the exterior wall from the construction phase, but only now, after the garden was dug up, has an ant colony moved so close to the house that they are using this access.
Of course, we will contact the builder and wait to hear their opinion.
But perhaps someone here has experience with this and can offer tips or ideas about how this could happen.
Thank you very much!
G
Gartenfreund1 Oct 2018 14:26Remove the baseboard and carefully check where the ants are coming from.
Then buy some ant powder at the hardware store. Take a small amount, dissolve it in water, and apply a few drops of this solution directly into the hole where the ants emerge. Just a few drops are enough. I do the same outside between the stones. After that, you won’t see any more ants.
Afterwards, you can seal the opening with some plaster, and that should be sufficient.
I don’t quite understand why this is immediately considered a construction defect. Over time, you will find many insects in or around your house. That’s just nature. It tries to reclaim what has been taken away by humans.
We also find spiders in the house every year, especially as autumn approaches.
We don’t mind. We leave them alone, and in return, they leave us alone.
Then buy some ant powder at the hardware store. Take a small amount, dissolve it in water, and apply a few drops of this solution directly into the hole where the ants emerge. Just a few drops are enough. I do the same outside between the stones. After that, you won’t see any more ants.
Afterwards, you can seal the opening with some plaster, and that should be sufficient.
I don’t quite understand why this is immediately considered a construction defect. Over time, you will find many insects in or around your house. That’s just nature. It tries to reclaim what has been taken away by humans.
We also find spiders in the house every year, especially as autumn approaches.
We don’t mind. We leave them alone, and in return, they leave us alone.
I’m not someone who immediately runs to a lawyer or anything like that; I prefer to ask others about their experiences first. I think that’s better.
Since I don’t know many people, I find this forum a good idea.
I also always find it helpful when the thread starter shares their own thoughts on the matter.
Personally, I find it strange that 1.5 months (about 6 weeks) after completion there is a small crack in the exterior masonry through which insects are coming in.
Nothing is coming through the windows, so I think it must be in the masonry below ground level.
I personally can’t imagine that this is within normal construction tolerances, because I thought everything had to be airtight nowadays.
But if you say that fine cracks or holes in the masonry allowing insects in are normal for a house that is 2 months old, then that makes sense.
If you said it wasn’t normal, or if I were convinced it was a building defect, I would contact a building expert.
But as I said: I prefer to ask about experiences first before making a big deal out of it.
By the way, searching for the hole isn’t so easy:
If I look from the outside, I have to dig a lot and move aside the black dimpled membrane.
From the inside, there is a membrane between the screed and the wall, but I can’t look under it because I can’t just lift the screed to see behind the membrane down to the concrete slab.
Since I don’t know many people, I find this forum a good idea.
I also always find it helpful when the thread starter shares their own thoughts on the matter.
Personally, I find it strange that 1.5 months (about 6 weeks) after completion there is a small crack in the exterior masonry through which insects are coming in.
Nothing is coming through the windows, so I think it must be in the masonry below ground level.
I personally can’t imagine that this is within normal construction tolerances, because I thought everything had to be airtight nowadays.
But if you say that fine cracks or holes in the masonry allowing insects in are normal for a house that is 2 months old, then that makes sense.
If you said it wasn’t normal, or if I were convinced it was a building defect, I would contact a building expert.
But as I said: I prefer to ask about experiences first before making a big deal out of it.
By the way, searching for the hole isn’t so easy:
If I look from the outside, I have to dig a lot and move aside the black dimpled membrane.
From the inside, there is a membrane between the screed and the wall, but I can’t look under it because I can’t just lift the screed to see behind the membrane down to the concrete slab.
I have also considered that if there is really a small hole in the masonry or base area (we don’t have a basement), moisture will get into the house. I always thought that window and door areas have a certain tolerance since they mainly deal with driving rain and such, but masonry and the base need to be sealed tight.
O
Obstlerbaum1 Oct 2018 17:40Yes, that is mold...
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